Rob Ford's Toronto

[John_Dee]

It's not really a mystery ... it's because they are his friends.

Exactly. It's tribalism of the basest kind at work: Slob doesn't consider anything that his low rent scumbag cronies get up to as criminal activity. Crimes are only committed by 'bad' people, and his friends aren't 'bad,' right? How could they be? They're his friends, etc. etc. As Lemur pointed out, this is the bargain basement version of your typical hoity-toity upper class corruption, where rich men support their mistresses and so on.

This isn't even a matter of the rich having one set of standards for themselves while expecting other people to adhere to a far stricter code of conduct. The entire modern right's governing philosophy appears to be "Do As I Say, Not As I Do." If any mainstream or even right-leaning liberal had pulled all the shit Ford has done - never even mind an out-and-out leftist - the same morons who currently make up Ford's rabid fanbase would be screaming for his head on a platter.

 

[VTB]

Ford has some personal connections to the sleazebags living at those properties, though, doesn't he? All are people he knew in high school and their families, i.e. fellow thugs of like-minded temperment/"friends." (When he's not sending enforcers armed with lead pipes to work them over to retrieve incriminating evidence, that is.) It wouldn't surprise me if he was willing to lend a helping hand to similar types he regarded as his own kind, and he probably didn't disapprove of the use they put their rented homes to. Why would he? It's not like they're common criminals; he knows them! And if he could put their connections to personal use whenever he was in the mood for partying, all the better.

After all, when it comes to Rofo (Dougie, too), the only real crime is getting caught.

Edited to say: What AoD said above. The same point I was trying to make, but stated far more eloquently.

+1. This I can totally see. Helping out with hydro bills, property tax whatever or getting the City to put a priority on repairing sewage issues etc. Actually owning the property, not so much.

 

[annonuesr]

Is anyone watching the Council debate on [edit: odor control at Humber treatment plant] this morning?

There was a very interesting attack from the Fords on Shiner and Perks regarding potential award of the contract, and whether either of these two had done any lobbying. It seemed very odd, particularly in light of the discussion of GFL that's taken place on this board, in a "best defense is a good offense" sort of way.

Anyone happen to catch this?

 

[VTB]

That dynamic seems to fit. Doug needs Rob in the political sphere because Rob is the family's chosen emissary in the world of politics, to keep him away from the family business. Rob has charisma of sorts and Doug needs some of that to be associated with him, because Doug by himself has too much unvarnished nastiness about him to appeal to many voters. Rob needs to be scripted and guided by Doug, but he is not easily controlled. Doug realizes Rob is not going to become a straight-edge health-nut übermensch that he is, but can't do without him. Rob has poor impulse control and relies on Doug to fix things for him and tell him what to do, but he resents him for it.

I agree with this too, except while Doug's family is into healthy living, Doug himself maybe not. Or he wouldn't be packing the gut he is waddling around in. He, too, needs to lose about 50 lbs! )

 

[OSS 117]

That dynamic seems to fit. Doug needs Rob in the political sphere because Rob is the family's chosen emissary in the world of politics, to keep him away from the family business. Rob has charisma of sorts and Doug needs some of that to be associated with him, because Doug by himself has too much unvarnished nastiness about him to appeal to many voters. Rob needs to be scripted and guided by Doug, but he is not easily controlled. Doug realizes Rob is not going to become a straight-edge health-nut übermensch that he is, but can't do without him. Rob has poor impulse control and relies on Doug to fix things for him and tell him what to do, but he resents him for it.

It's weird to keep hearing all this fitness stuff about Doug. I get that he has a family full of of fitness freak females, and I'm sure he still does his foot-fist-way karate stuff, but only in comparison to Rob is he not a fat slob himself. Unless it's all muscle, like the old Spider-Man villain The Kingpin, which I sort of doubt.

 

[annonuesr]

Within the last couple of years. It's too bad I deleted it. It was indeed a numbered corporation that owned the house. I believe the current owner bought it from that corporation.

Anyone kicking around City Hall might be able to find this info in the assessment rolls. Publicly available info there.

And anyone who happens to have TeraView access could back it up with actual PIN summary.

Just a thought.

 

[rightwingSUVdriver]

It's weird to keep hearing all this fitness stuff about Doug. I get that he has a family full of of fitness freak females, and I'm sure he still does his foot-fist-way karate stuff, but only in comparison to Rob is he not a fat slob himself. Unless it's all muscle, like the old Spider-Man villain The Kingpin, which I sort of doubt.

It ain't all muscle! He's got boobz

 

[PinkLucy]

Moobs

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

It's weird to keep hearing all this fitness stuff about Doug. I get that he has a family full of of fitness freak females, and I'm sure he still does his foot-fist-way karate stuff, but only in comparison to Rob is he not a fat slob himself. Unless it's all muscle, like the old Spider-Man villain The Kingpin, which I sort of doubt.

I think the propensity for freaks of nature is exactly the reason behind the overfocus on health and fitness - it's overcompensation.

And yes, caught a bit of the lobbyist stuff - well, my response? Island Airport.

AoD

 

[notshocking]

I assume that would mean that the numbered corporation owns the houses and that maybe the dealers are paid as employees or partners of that corporation. That way, Ford would receive the rent (indirectly) but the selling and distributing would be done by the occupants, who would also supply Ford. Ford himself wouldn't personally be selling and distributing (because, you know, he's a busy guy), but he would be facilitating the business of those who supply him.

Whoa, I think people are reading way too much into this. No one's saying he's a drug lord or criminal mastermind-- quite the opposite. Simply that he privately owns property investments and that some of those properties are frequented by crackheads. A la 15 Windsor, which he has already angrily denied being anything other than a family home.

 

[Kat_YYZ]

Exactly. It's tribalism of the basest kind at work: Slob doesn't consider anything that his low rent scumbag cronies get up to as criminal activity. Crimes are only committed by 'bad' people, and his friends aren't 'bad,' right? How could they be? They're his friends, etc. etc. As Lemur pointed out, this is the bargain basement version of your typical hoity-toity upper class corruption, where rich men support their mistresses and so on.

This isn't even a matter of the rich having one set of standards for themselves while expecting other people to adhere to a far stricter code of conduct. The entire modern right's governing philosophy appears to be "Do As I Say, Not As I Do." If any mainstream or even right-leaning liberal had pulled all the shit Ford has done - never even mind an out-and-out leftist - the same morons who currently make up Ford's rabid fanbase would be screaming for his head on a platter.

In fairness, everyone is like this. No one thinks of their friends the same way as strangers. There are people who would cross the street to get away from a "scary crack addict" type, even though their own 30-year-old child is a drug addict (and they know it; and maybe they are at times "afraid" of them, but they still see them as their child, not "some crack addict"). This is just human nature.

 

[retailestate]

Has anyone else found the Toronto Star servers REALLY SLOW the last couple days...?

 

[SecretSquirrel]

Whoa, I think people are reading way too much into this. No one's saying he's a drug lord or criminal mastermind-- quite the opposite. Simply that he privately owns property investments and that some of those properties are frequented by crackheads. A la 15 Windsor, which he has already angrily denied being anything other than a family home.

This is my interpretation also. Why shouldn't he move his assets to help out his loyal friends? After all, you can't teach loyalty. If said friends can connect the "Mayor" with crack & other drugs, why then that's just symbiosis in action!

 

[rutefoot]

Has anyone else found the Toronto Star servers REALLY SLOW the last couple days...?

It might be some poorly coded flash-based ads causing the problem.

 

[evvabeing]

Didn't you guys conclude a while back that there was no connection between Deco and that convicted coke dealer? This past summer I actually convinced a realtor to send me some recent past ownership and rental details for that place but I never found out if Deco owned the place at the time buddy claimed it as his residence.

They also have sales offices scattered around the United States including one in Hollywood, Florida.

http://viableopposition.blogspot.ca/2013/11/the-ford-family-business.html